Press Releases - ACLU of DC

Sep 19, 2023

Bread for the City Responds as D.C. Police Union Moves to Intervene in Lawsuit Challenging Unequal Response to Mental Health Emergencies

Issue Areas: Criminal Justice Reform, Equal Protection and Discrimination

Aug 28, 2023

D.C. Department of Corrections Stops Denying Kosher Meals to Jewish Residents of the D.C. Jail

The D.C. Department of Corrections has revised its religious diet policy in response to a lawsuit brought by the ACLU of the District of Columbia on behalf of Riley Benjamin, a Jewish resident.

Issue Areas: Religious Liberty, Criminal Justice Reform, Equal Protection and Discrimination

Aug 10, 2023

ACLU-D.C. Files Religious Freedom Lawsuit Against the D.C. Department of Corrections

ACLU-D.C. sues D.C. Department of Corrections, challenging the denial of kosher meals to Jewish inmates without external faith verification, violating religious rights.

Issue Areas: Religious Liberty, Criminal Justice Reform, Equal Protection and Discrimination

Jul 06, 2023

Lawsuit Challenges Unequal Response to Mental Health Emergencies in Washington, DC

We’re representing Bread for the City in a federal lawsuit challenging the District’s practice of sending police to mental health emergencies instead of mental health professionals.

Issue Areas: Racial Justice, Police Practices and Police Misconduct, Disability Rights, Equal Protection and Discrimination

Mar 23, 2022

D.C. Jail Agrees To Improve Transgender Housing Policies To Settle Lawsuit of Trans Woman Housed in Men’s Unit

“No one should face what I had to face at the D.C. Jail. DOC put my safety and mental health at risk, and I’m glad that other trans people at the Jail will be treated with more dignity."

Issue Areas: Equal Protection and Discrimination, LGBTQ+ Rights, Women's Rights/Gender Equity, Criminal Justice Reform

Nov 19, 2021

ACLU-DC Responds to Verdict in Kyle Rittenhouse Case

The ACLU-DC will continue to defend and advance that right to ensure that all protestors’ voices can be heard without fear of violence.

Issue Areas: Freedom of Speech and Association, Equal Protection and Discrimination

Nov 17, 2021

D.C. Corrections Officer Challenges Hostile Anti-Gay Workplace at D.C. Department of Corrections

Plaintiff Endured Anti-Gay Slurs, Retaliation, and Threats of Assault Over Many Years

Issue Areas: Disability Rights, Equal Protection and Discrimination, Government Employees' Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights

Sep 30, 2021

Court Denies Preliminary Relief and Class Status in D.C. Jail Trans Housing Case But Allows Case to Continue

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia denied a preliminary injunction and class certification in Hinton v. District of Columbia, a case brought on behalf of Sunday Hinton, a trans woman who was housed in the men’s unit of the D.C. Jail for more than two weeks.

Issue Areas: LGBTQ+ Rights, Criminal Justice Reform, Equal Protection and Discrimination, Women's Rights/Gender Equity

May 11, 2021

ACLU-DC, Public Defender Service File Discrimination Case Against D.C. Jail for Housing Trans Woman in Men’s Unit

The ACLU-DC and Public Defender Service filed a lawsuit against the D.C. government to stop the Department of Corrections from housing a trans woman in the men's unit at the D.C. Jail.

Issue Areas: Equal Protection and Discrimination, LGBTQ+ Rights, Criminal Justice Reform

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